The Beginning
by reginassthief
Summary: Oneshot. Original Idea. Regina/Robin's POV. Part B. High School AU Verse. Regina deals with her un-sympathising family and an unwelcome surprise while Robin has troubles with his mother. (see Study Night Distraction for part 1 and The End for part A) Tw: Mentions of self harm.


**N/A: So this is part B to my second install of the High School AU. Part A can be found on tumblr or on .** **Special thanks for Alyssa for giving me a normal name for Hades- it actually works if you know the meaning/story behind it. I hope you like it :)**

 **Trigger Warning:** _Mention of self harm, though it's only brief._

She can smell something cooking the moment she walks through the door. The scent hitting her nose as she throws her bag down in the corner.

The food smells nice, but she's in no mood to eat.

No, she'd rather just run upstairs and hide in her, forget today ever happened.

Regina's mind at been rolling as she walked home. She might have felt at peace with everything after she read out the eulogy to Robin (and Daniel) but then she began thinking, the reality of the situation finally sunk in. Daniel wasn't coming back. She was never seeing him again, or at least not anytime.

She felt the tears begin to form, the wind blowing them back making her eyes sting. Regina had managed to calm herself down by the time she got to the front gate. Her eyes were still a little red and puffy but she didn't- she hoped- Mother didn't notice too much.

"I thought I taught you to manage your time better than that."

Regina rolls her eyes at the sound of her mother's voice. She looks up to see her standing there looking, what already seems to be an annoyed expression only worsened by Regina's lateness.

"Yeah, well...I lost track of time."

Cora only _hmms_ , but strangely doesn't say anymore on the matter (not that Regina's complaining)

"What did you need to me be back for anyway?" she asks, but before Cora can answer, there's a glimpse of red hair and Zelena's entering the hallway, a sight with has Regina sighing. _That_ is why she had to be home.

"There you are- What are you wearing?"

Zelena rakes her eyes from head to toe and back again, a disgusted and confused look crossing her face as if black was the worst colour to be found wearing.

"You're sister's been at a funeral, dear." Cora tells tells her and Zelena's features soften as she lets out an _oh._

"Well," her sister says, features hardening again. "You better change. I don't want Herod thinking his to be sister-in-law is some emo or something."

Regina frowns. "Who's Herod?"

"He's the reason I wanted you to be home at a reasonable time." Cora tells her as Zelena leaves the two of them. "You'll meet him in a minute. And Zelena's right, wear something...lighter." and she's following Zelena out of the room.

Regina stands there, trying to process it all. By Zelena's choice of words, _to be sister-in-law,_ it seems like this Herod person and her sister are to be married? When did they even meet?

Though, she guesses she shouldn't be surprised by this. Of course her mother would choose _today_ to set up what seems to be an engagement dinner for the two. Typical.

She descends the stairs, making her way to her room and starts pulling off the dress, throwing it into the bottom of the wardrobe, hoping to never see the thing again.

Now the only problem was choosing what to wear.

She feels the familiar worry and anxiety start to pool in her stomach as her eyes scan the clothes hanging up. As always, there was what Regina wanted to wear, and what Cora wanted her to wear. Of course, 'something light' only gives her a vague idea of what to go for. She doesn't fancy being nit-picked in front of this to brother-in-law person, whoever he is, it has to be formal enough to wear for a special dinner, but informal enough for the house. And it has to be lightly coloured and…

Oh, this is stupid! This much thought shouldn't have to go on clothes.

She sits on her bed and just stares at her open wardrobe. Maybe she could just skip dinner? No! That's not an option. Don't be stupid, Regina.

She sighs and carries on staring. There's a shout of _Regina_ coming down stairs, her mother telling her to hurry up and she would, if Mother wasn't the cause of this very difficult decision making.

And she needs to hurry up. She's probably already delayed them and Mother is clearly already annoyed with her. Yet, she doesn't know what to wear!

Regina could scream. Scream out all her frustrations, trash this stupid peachy orangey coloured room and all the frilly stuff with it. She hates frilly things. Hates this house. Hates her life.

There's a more urgent and annoyed shout of _Regina_ and that has her moving. Throwing careful-decision making out the window and just grabbing the first thing that she comes across; which just happens to be a white jumper and a pair of leggings. There. Something simple. Black and white, like her life isn't.

She throws them on, leaves her hair as it is, and makes her way down to the dining room where everyone is already sitting. And she sees her to be brother-in-law for the first time. And he's the image of what Mother would approve of; one of the cretins found at the club. A slimey, weezey little man and Regina hates him already. Such a great start.

"You must be the Regina I've heard so many _nice_ things about." the man says, breaking the silence that had formed since she entered.

Regina would laugh, but now is not the time. She's pretty sure what...Herod, was that is name?, had been told about her, and they were probably far from anything nice.

"Yes," Regina agree, making her way over to her chair and sitting down. "I'm sure what my mother and my sister had to say was very _nice_ , indeed."

He seems slightly taken back by her answer. _Good,_ Regina thinks. _Let him be._

"Well, we should eat." Cora says, and Regina brings her own plate forward. "We don't want to let it get _more_ cold."

"Don't think that could be possible." Zelena says, more to herself than anyone else. Yet, Herod picks up on it.

"Now, now, Zelena," his voice patronising as hell. "I heard Regina had a funeral to intend, a solid reason she was late."

Regina speaks just as Cora does.

"How do you know about that?"

"We don't talk about that here."

Regina goes quiet first, feeling Cora's glare that she spoke when she did.

"What were you saying, Mother?" Zelena asks, trying to defuse the awkwardness that had formed.

Regina looks away, rolling her eyes. Of course what Mother says is more important that Regina's input. It alway is.

Cora coughs before saying, "I said, we don't talk about that here."

"Oh." Herod says, blinking a view times. "My fault. I was just trying to justify Regina's lateness." He shuffles in his seat, setting down his cutlery. "Forgive me for asking this, Cora, but, Regina?"

"Yes?" she answers directly after.

"How did you feel about the funeral?"

Regina frowns, why was he so interested in this? She looks to her mother, sees the death stare she's giving the man.

She thinks carefully about the question. Though, why he was asking it anyway, why he was so interested in it, Regina wasn't sure of. But her answer had to be careful, thought through. She's already towing a dangerous line, one wrong move and this whole thing could blow up in her face.

"It didn't really bother me. I didn't really want to be there."

The words sting. More than she anticipated but Cora death stare vanishes, her now surprised expression landing on Regina.

"Oh, well…" Herod's also surprised by her answer it seems, lost for words and Regina knows she holds the upper hand- even Zelena hasn't said anything...yet.

"I only ask since I'm a funeral director, I see countless people walk into my funeral home, and I was just...curious."

She loses the game (a game she's playing by herself) a little when she's taken away by his profession. Only nodding slowly, trying not to show how creeped out she really is. Wow, Zelena. You really know how to pick them, don't you?

She coughs, shuffling in her own seat much like he did before and says, "Oh. Well, as I said before, it was a futile...service. No point in it really."

Herod nods. "Well, such a shame. Having to go to something unwillingly."

Regina gets a thought then, something that would definitely put her back on that dangerous line, yet she's feeling bold tonight, it seems, a little risky. Her fate is already sealed anyway, there's nothing more Mother can do now regardless of what Regina says. She's stuck here forever.

"It wouldn't be the first time I've had to sit through something unwilling."

A thrill runs through Regina. She said it. She said it and they all know what she's talking about judging by both Mother and Zelena's glare. Even Herod looks a little surprise before schooling his features.

"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way." he tells her.

"Perhaps we should talk about something else. Give Regina a break." Cora says, face relaxing. She's cottoned on to Regina's little game, it seems. "How did you and Zelena meet?"

Regina goes back to her food, picking bits up, taking little bites here and then, and listens to the conversation.

"In London, actually." he says. "She passed-"

"Why? Who died?"

The words fall out before Regina can stop them. Herod falls quiet, as Cora's eyes shoot towards her.

" _Regina._ " her voice is low, threatening, and Regina knows she crossed the line, at least a little bit.

"Nobody _died,_ " Herod says, and even he sounds like he's starting to get annoyed with Regina's antics and sass. "She passed by my shop, looking for something."

"What?" Regina asks, smiling. She doesn't care now. She's crossed that line. She doesn't want to be here, she knows what will happen next if she says her next sentence. "Like her brains?"

"Mother! Will you tell her?" Zelena whines, sounding more like a twelve year old than the twenty-three year old she should be.

"That's enough, Regina. Go to your room."

"It's fine, Cora. Let her stay."

 _No!_

"No, Herod. I won't have her speaking to you or her sister with so much disrespect, I thought I'd raised her much better than that."

Regina's about to move off her chair then to leave but something in her snaps. And whether it was today, this dinner, or just these people in general, Regina has no idea which one, or even if it's all three, has made her so reckless today, but she knows she can't hold it in any longer.

"But what? It's okay for you lot to bitch about me when I'm not here?"

"Are you actually that surprised?" Zelena pipes up. "You ruined the night before you even got here, by being late, remember? Then you play out this stupid power game, which you're not that great at. I mean, do you really think we all buy you not caring that you boyfriend was buried today?"

Regina goes quiet, the rage burning down. Zelena's right, as much as Regina would hate to admit it. Her arrogance and recklessness had blinded her, made her look like she was the one with all the power, when she had none. They knew all along she was just baiting them.

"It's not fair." Regina says, her voice quiet, she feels the tears coming on, but she won't cry. _Can't_ cry. Mother isn't swayed by tears. Neither is Zelena.

"Fair?! You want to talk about fair?" Cora practically shrieks. "What's not fair is you ruining Zelena's night."

Regina doesn't look up. The tears are in her eyes. She can't look up. So she focus on something else, her nails picking at her skin, scratching, hurting...

 _That's self harming, you know._ She hears Daniel's voice in her ears, suddenly. That time when he saw her by the apple tree, picking at her nails. _You're intentionally hurting yourself. You shouldn't._

But her nails don't stop biting her skin. _Let it hurt,_ Regina thinks. _It's better than this pain, anyway._

She slips off the chair and begins walking away. Is the distance, she hears Mother's voice, a _where are you going?_ In which Regina answers, her voice far away, still reeling from hearing Daniel's, _To my room, like you said._

She makes her way back upstairs, leaving everyone stunned, no doubt, and shuts the door. Doesn't even slam it. Collapsing against the door and onto the floor.

 _If you need anything. Wanna talk or...anything, don't be scared to call me._

Robin's voice. His words. What he said just before she left.

Instantly, she's scrambling for her phone she threw on her bed when she first came up here to get changed. Unlocking it, and scrolling through her contacts, trying to find his name.

When she does, she clicks the call button, and brings it to her ears. As she listens to it ringing, she realises she doesn't actually know what she's gonna say. She could say she's feeling sad about Daniel's death. Or she could tell him the truth, the engagement dinner, the power game. Burden him with all her troubles…

But it turns out it doesn't matter. The phone goes to voicemail. He didn't pick up.

She mutes the call, and throws the phone. It's petty, she knows. He's probably busy. But he said she could call….

...:...:...

"Mum, just listen to me!"

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

He dodges a plat that gets thrown at his head. He's still dressed in his suit, hadn't had chance to change.

Since he walked in, his Mum had looked up at him, terrified. She began backing away into the kitchen, telling him to leave her alone, to get out of her house. Robin was confused at first, but then he realised, he'd just walked in in the middle of one of her episodes.

"Mum, it's me. Robin. You're son."

"I don't have a son!"

He reaches for her, but she knocks his hands away.

"Get away from me!" she screams.

And Robin doesn't know what to do. Does he stay with her and potentially risk his life, or does he do what she wants him to, and leave.

He goes with the latter. He'll ring his dad, tell him what's going on. Yeah, it's better than way.

"You want me to leave? I'll leave." Where the hell is he going to go.

"Yes, leave." Anna tells him and Robin is, he's walking towards the door, grabbing his phone off the side, then he's opening the door and walking out, hoping to god he's made the right decision.

When he unlocks his phone, he notices he's got a missed call. From Regina. _Shit!_ He pressed the call button, rings it to his ears and waits.

…:...:...

Her phone is ringing. And it's dark. And her body hurts. Blindly, she reaches for it, sees _Robin_ flash across the screen and ignores it. Throws it back down onto the floor and rolls over, curling back into a ball on her peach carpet, and going back to sleep.


End file.
